Whedon Wednesdays at Dark Horse! (Spoilers)

Oops! Is it Thursday already? Well, in case you missed it, Dark Horse just announced Whedon Wednesdays which will run now through the launch of Buffy in September. If the art above is any indication, we're in for some awesomeness this year!

Also, check out the artistic process of the new Angel & Faith artist Rebekah Issacs here.

IDW WEEK: Interview with Editor in Chief Chris Ryall

As we wind down IDW Week, we are delighted to close out the festivities with Chief Creative Officer and Head Honcho Chris Ryall. He's given us some very colorful responses as he closes the door on his reign in the Angel-verse. Thanks to everyone who participated in this IDW-lovin' event. We've had a blast!


Buffyfest: What is your favorite behind the scene memory since you've been working in the Whedonverse?

Chris Ryall: Really, as much as I've enjoyed the comics themselves, I'd say my best memory is essentially the collective memory of working with such great people. Which is a broad answer, really, and involves many creators, but that was always the best part of the process. Angel was the first title I worked on when I started here in 2004, and along the way, being able to involve Peter David in writing IDW books, following the series done by outgoing IDW EIC Jeff Mariotte, was a thrill for me. I've been a fan of Peter's for two decades, and him doing that first Spike book for us has led to many other projects. Similarly, it was great to get my friend and great writer and co-conspirator Scott Tipton his first comic-writing gigs, too. Scott has really developed into a special writer, and handled the Angel books with a very deft touch.

And working with Brian Lynch on his first Spike series was not only gratifying to me to get yet another great friend and supremely talented writer involved with the Whedonverse, but it also introduced me to Franco Urru. Franco, and David Messina, have been the artistic heart of the Angel books for the duration, with great contributions from people like Stephen Mooney, Elena Casagrande, Nick Runge, and so many other talented people. I know this is turning into a list of names, which is essentially what my final little two-pager in this week's Angel Yearbook was, but working with such creatively inspiring people has been the thing that I will always remember from our time with Angel. Much moreso than any one day's memory, although there have been many singularly notable events when I look at things with a micro view, too.

Working on Angel felt in large part to me what creating comics should feel like. Sharing ideas, bouncing things off one another, working with friends and very inspired, inspiring people... throughout our time with the license, it brought with it the very best that comics collaborations have to offer.

Add to that the chance to do good things like tell a Lorne tribute story with a creator as gifted as John Byrne and a partner as close to the late and very missed Andy Hallett as Mark Lutz; the chance to bring in Juliet Landau to work on Drusilla stories; Joss Whedon (!) getting involved to tell stories here; and even the developing relationship I have with Scott Allie at Dark Horse now (platonic only, although maybe there is actually some "Chrott" slash-fic out there somewhere?) -- when we started on Angel, and when I joined IDW, there seemed to be a lot of enmity between the two companies, and that's all a thing of the past now. The bad incidents fade into the ether, but man, the abundance of great memories of our time with Angel will Not Fade Away.

Buffyfest: Which character are you going to miss the most and why?

CR: Probably Scott Allie's Hair, which -- I don't know how many people realize this, but it actually achieved full sentience in 2007, and is quite adept at quietly calling the shots in Oregon.

Also, Spike. See below for my longer reasons why, but essentially, he was just such a good comic character, and opened up endless story options.

Buffyfest: Where do you see Angel in 20 years?

CR: Back with IDW, of course. I mean, in the interim, it will leave Dark Horse after a few years and go to Dynamite, where Alex Ross will paint a gorgeous Betta George miniseries; and then Archie will do a version of the characters in Riverdale for a few years. The license will then be split, as the new Whedon-less movie creates a different version of Spike, so both Archaia and a new publisher, Derivative Comics, will both be doing competing versions of the character in comic form. That will end badly, in the Great Licensed Comics Chaos Event of 2019, where every single licensed character in history will crossover in one gigantic, 200-issue event series. The two Spikes touch hands and it's like matter and anti-matter meeting, and there's an implosion that will destroy every licensed comic character except for, curiously, the Katzenjammer Kids, who will make a 100-plus-years-in-the-making comeback in The Katzenjammer Kids: After the Fall, which also includes their new blonde half-brother, Spike. The only way I will know any of this, however, is when my daughter Lucy, who will be running IDW editorial then, telepathically notifies me at the Home for Wayward Comic Folk. I stop bathing in my own drool and ranting about "the good ol' days of four variant covers" long enough to respond, and then I go back to sleep. And my sleep will be filled with dreams of Spike. And they will be good dreams.

Buffyfest: Finally, the most important question of your tenure, Spike or Angel?

CR: As much as the license was Angel, and we launched with an Angel series, and we told the big Angel: After the Fall story... it's got to be Spike. Spike, in the hands of people like Lynch, Tipton, and David, just proved to be so much more versatile, and so much more fun. And the expansion of Spike's supporting cast with Lynch's new characters just gave him added depth, and added sources of humor, too. I'm going to miss it all, but I'll really miss the chance to do more Spike comics along those lines.

And a final note of thanks to you all at Buffyfest, and Angel fandom at large. That's been another very enjoyable part of this whole run, the interactions and passionate exchanges with fans who both liked and didn't like but always (usually) supported what we did. I think we all had fun together. Hope your experiences going forward with Angel and Buffy comics are just as enjoyable from your side, too. And if they're not, well, I blame the sentient Hair.

IDW WEEK: Interview With Our Very Own Dan Roth and Pat Shand

In honor of yesterday's release of Angel Yearbook and in celebration of our two favorite fanboys, next up on IDW Week is a fun little interview with Dan (aka Bitsy as he's known around these parts) and Pat. 

Buffyfest: You have both been given such a unique and lucky opportunity. As a fan, what did it feel like the moment you realized you'd be writing one of your favorite characters?

Dan Roth: For a long time I didn’t believe it. I remember sending this jokey thing to Mariah ages ago because I thought it would make her laugh. Imagine my surprise when she told me that she might be able to use it for one of her comics down the line.

Now I’ve got about as much luck as a Joss Whedon character who has just found true love, so I was always waiting for the other shoe to drop, for there not to be room for me in Angel land after all. I felt that way when the Angel Yearbook was approved by Fox and I felt that way through each draft I wrote. It was all too surreal. Me? Writing an Angel story? It couldn’t be.

The moment it became real was when I got my first art back from Stephen Mooney. Man but that blew my mind. There’s nothing quite like seeing something you’ve written turned into art and I don’t know if there are the words for how lucky I was to work with Mooney. He has such a gift for capturing likenesses and he brings that classic, gothic Angel feel to every panel.

Sufficed to say, I was pretty jazzed.

Pat Shand: Well, I've been trying to write for Angel for a loooooong time. I'd been asking Brian about it for a while, and then one day I decided to be Mr. Forward and write a pitch and a first issue script for a Wes/Illyria miniseries called "Whosoever You Be" set in Season Five. I sent that to Mooney, who had posted a blog about wanting to do such a series, but as it happens you have to be kind of established to write for Angel. Which makes sense, I mean if I picked up an issue and saw "Written by Guy Off The Street" in the credits, I'd be all "Huh?"

Anyway, point is that I'd been trying at this for a long time. Might sound cheesy, but I wanted to write for Angel more than anything else. I'd been talking to Dan Roth for a while about our "Yearbook" pitches, and he found out that we were in before I did. I remember I was getting ready to go ice skating with my girlfriend and I got this text from Dan. It said something like, "We're in 'Yearbook'," annnnd I sort of flipped out. Told my girlfriend, there was a lot of screaming and hugging and happiness and celebration. And then I went ice skating and fell on my ass a lot.

Buffyfest: What was it like working behind the scenes alongside your favorite writers and artists?

DR: One of the best parts of this whole process was having Mariah as an editor. Even for this two page story, she dedicated the time to really help me craft the best story I could. Looking back on where the concept started through to how it ultimately turned out, I can tell you I could never have done it without her.

It was also incredibly exciting to share what I’d done with Scott, Brian, and David and having them get it. Here were these guys who inspire me as a writer, treating me like a colleague. I don’t think I could be more grateful.

PS: Would it be ass-kissing to say the best thing ever? If so, I don't care because it's true. I've been talking with Scott Tipton, Mooney, and Brian for a while, but to actually appear in a book with them... those guys are the best writers and artists to ever touch these comics, and it makes me proud to be in there with them and even more proud to know 'em.

Getting pages back from Mooney was heaven. Literally, I actually died for a second when I saw how freakin' scary the monster he drew for my story was. In the original script, I included this beast made entirely of tentacles (Mariah loves squids and octopi, so I figured I'd pander to that in order to get into the book, because I have little to no shame) but after I sent it to Mooney, I looked through all the Angel books he worked on and realized how good he is at creating creatures. So I sent him an e-mail that pretty much said, "To hell with my monster idea, go wild." And he did. Look at that beastie. Creepy, huh?

Brian has always been a giant help for me and such a sweet dude, so one of the first things that I did when I found out I was going to be in "Yearbook" was to send him a message. That guy of all people knows how long I've been trying to get in the book. Scott was great throughout the whole process, too. I originally pitched a different story altogether, and he really helped me condense the original six page idea into two pages. Maybe I'll post that script on my blog, because I do like it. Chris Ryall was also wonderful throughout. He was great about answering questions, and just an overall great guy. Working with the Angel team is something that I think I'll be measuring all of my future writing experiences up against.

Buffyfest: How did you each come up with your stories?

DR: Well, for me it was a matter of coming up with something that would be fun and include little touches of fan service. I knew I wanted to channel the dynamic between Spike and Angel that we saw during the great “Cavemen vs. Astronauts” debate. I also wanted to play with the Illyria and Gunn relationship.

I had this sense that a lot of the Angel Yearbook would be very serious stuff, so I wanted to bring something really light and simple. Having Angel and Spike fight over what they would watch on TV felt like the right fit. It was a chance to show them being completely over the top about something totally ordinary which, to me, is very Spike and Angel. They just can’t help themselves when they’re around each other. It’s what I love best about their relationship.

PS: With a looooot of brain juice.

When I met Dan for the first time at NYC, I believe it went something like this.

DAN: Aren't you Pat's Hand?


PAT: Um, what? Who are you, cheekbone man, stay away!


DAN: You are excellent and not at all chubby and you should pitch for ANGEL: YEARBOOK.


PAT: That is correct.

DR: Yes, that is exactly what happened.  Fear my cheekbones!

PS: I'd talked to Ryall about "Yearbook" at NYCC, but for some reason I thought it had already been drawn and was ready for print. I don't know, I'm weird. And thankfully wrong. Dan told me he was pitching for the book, so I ethically and not at all forwardly (forwardly?) used my scheduled interview with Mariah Huehner to ask if I could pitch for the book. She was totally receptive to it and so nice, so as soon as the interview was over I started cooking up a story idea. My first pitch was the story of Gunn and Illyria's return to the gang after their road trip. I tried to do the whole "squeeze an epic into two pages" thing, but like Dan said... doesn't really work. I still like what I did with that first story, but I'm glad that Mariah asked for more pitches. She said that the concept was a bit too similar to Brian's story, which I think is a damn good reason to get turned down.

Anyway, I ended up pitching a few more ideas, which consisted of these:

A short about Angel’s love for the only main character that has been around as long as he has… Los Angeles.

Angel does something special to mark the anniversary of Doyle’s passing. In doing so, he pays tribute to the other characters we have lost (Cordy, Fred, Wes). Connor follows Angel, noticing him, watching… but he says nothing. A quite moment of reflection between father and son.

During “After the Fall” Harmony opens up a hair salon in Hell. Groosalugg, Angel, and other cast members visit. Funny, light, odd.

Angel and Spike break up a vampire party, commenting on how lame modern day vamps have become.

Mariah went with the first one, and I'm glad. I love how it came out, and was grateful that I was able to use the concept to squeeze everything I could out of this verse. I got to use Angel to kill a giant monster, I threw a Spike line in there, had a bit of a sweet moment, and even ruined a purse. I'm so very greedy. I want it all.

Buffyfest: Finally, you're obviously both into comics, what was the biggest challenge writing one? Did seeing the other side soften any usual criticism you have of the writers?

DR: The biggest challenge was working within the confines of two pages. A man gets a crack at the Whedonverse, he wants it to be epic. You just can’t do epic in two pages. Well, I can’t, at any rate.

Was I ever overwhelmingly critical of the writers? Not publicly, I don’t think. So keep that in mind, readers! I wasn’t a critic. So when I ask if you like my story, just smile and nod.

PS: I think that if any people in the Buffy fandom know me, it might be from how vehemently I defend the Angel comics. I've loved this series from jump, so there's not much criticism to soften. When I didn't like something, even if I voiced it, I think that the writer in me always went about it in a respectful way. I've wanted to write since I read my first Goosebumps book at the round-headed age of seven, so I don't think you'll catch me trolling around about a writer anytime soon. Except Dan, that guy is such a jerk. SCREW DAN ROTH!

DR: Agree.  Sometimes I mix multiple plaids and think I'm being fashionable which is the third listed dictionary definition of "unlovable".  Look it up in your Funk and Wagnalls sometime.

PS: But really, I love Dan Roth. He comes to my plays and makes me laugh.

DR: Don't be fooled.  I charge him for this service.

PS: The biggest challenge... I'll totally agree with Dan. Ideally, I'd have forty-four issues and many, many miniseries to tell my ANGEL tale. But I had two pages, so there was a loooot to squeeze in there. But as I said before... greedy. Another big challenge was just the idea of writing these iconic characters that have literally changed the lives of some of the people who watch these shows and read these comics. It was hard, it was rewarding, and such a big honor.

- Thanks guys and congrats!

IDW WEEK: Interview with Writer and Editor, Mariah Huehner

Next up, we talk with editor and writer on the final series of Angel, Illyria, and Spike stories, Mariah Huehner.  Over the last few years, she's become a stellar voice with the fans, always there to talk about what was happening behind the scenes.  We dig a little deeper with her today, asking some of those questions she couldn't quite answer before the book was still running.
 
Buffyfest: You came in right after the Kelley Armstrong arc was done and a lot of fans were wondering, "Why didn't IDW just tap one of the Angel TV Series writers to work on the book?"

Mariah Huehner: I always like that question because there's no easy answer. We did, of course, approach some people from the show. But everyone was busy or, you know, working on Buffy. :} I'm not in any way knocking Buffy, of course. But we just didn't have the option of tapping someone from the show at the time. Plus, comics is a different medium than TV. Just because you love one doesn't mean you have any interest in the other.

Buffyfest: The other big question that got asked back then (and again, later) was, "Why not a fan writer?" It wasn't unknown that some fans had pitched for the book, that many fans write stories about these characters often. Was that ever considered?

MH: Well, no. And again, not as a knock to fans, the thing is, comics are a lot harder to write than most people realize. You need experienced writers in the medium to construct stories like this. Just loving the show isn't enough. You need to understand this specific form of storytelling, meet deadlines, and be confident you can handle a world of this size and cast this big. The truth is, all the writers we hired were also fans of the show.

Buffyfest: Right. Which brings us to the first set of stories you were editor on, those being written by Bill Willingham and Bill Williams. There was a lot of controversy concerning the characterization of many of the major players at that time, that Spike was acting strangely, that Angel was out of the book for too long. Looking back on it, do you still stand behind those stories? Is there anything you would have wanted to do differently?

MH: I do still stand behind those stories. We wouldn't have published them if we didn't think they were worth telling. I think I probably would have gotten Angel back into the action sooner, for instance. And been maybe a touch more obvious about Spike. But there were reasons for all of that, real story and character reasons, so it's not like anything was done arbitrarily. The argument that characters were acting OOC...that seems to come up no matter who is writing something. I've even seen that about stuff Joss has written. So we couldn't really worry about that too much. It's a bit subjective.

Buffyfest: Once Bill left, you and David took over to complete his arc and move into what would become the final story. How closely did you keep to Bill's original plan and how much was changed? When you were planning out those stories, did you take into account what fans were saying or is it too risky to play into what fans want?

MH: We kept some things and not others. We had to finish the arc up in a way that made sense so obviously certain plot and character points Bill had been building towards were there. But we also had to change some elements to set up the next arc which was something David and I developed on our own. We went in a very different direction with the last arc for obvious reasons. In terms of what fans were saying...that's a tough one. We certainly cared, you want people to enjoy the stories you're telling. But overall, no, we had to tell a story we felt was right for the characters and the kind of ending we thought Angel deserved. Not two fans want the same exact thing so you can't base stories on that.

Buffyfest: When in the process of writing did you find out that the license was reverting back to Dark Horse?

MH: I honestly don't remember. Probably around the time everyone else did. :}

Buffyfest: Did you have a longer narrative in mind originally?

MH: Yeah, David and I had a longer arc planned. It would have been more fleshed out, more detailed and weird.

Buffyfest: What would you like to have done, given more time? Anything in particular? Any other characters you would have liked to focus more on? Would you have wanted to bring in more original characters?

MH: Personally, I would've wanted more stuff with Illyria and her role in that future. We had to cut a lot of that to get Angel back to his present and I was sad to see it go. And I would have liked to do more with Wolfram & Hart, been able to get more into what was going on with them and their reappearance.

I don't think we would've added more new characters, though. That arc was more about the core group and Angel's relationship with Connor. But also about choices and fighting the good fight. We had to pace things very tightly in the last arc, and while I'm pleased with how it turned out, you always wish you had more time with everyone. More moments to let breathe, more character exploration.

Buffyfest: You became a pretty big presence in the IDW forums throughout your time writing and editing. Was it hard going from being a fan who could be critical of the show's narrative to being on the receiving end of that criticism? How did you deal with that shift, especially when you moved from editing to editing AND writing?

MH: Honestly, I really didn't mind any of the criticism unless it was because people were making huge assumptions about what we were doing. In general the IDW forum is constructive and spirited, but not mean. And you can't expect to write something in a world like this and not get criticized. You just can't make story choices based on that.

The transition from editing to co-writing was interesting. I've definitely been critical of some of the show's storylines so David and I would talk about the things we felt worked vs. what we didn't, mostly to avoid being repetitive or getting into narrative sinkholes.

I wanted to be accessible on the forums, though, because I could see how important these characters and stories were to the fans and I wanted to make sure they knew that we cared, too.

At core, I'm a fan of stories. I get emotional over ones I connect to, so I can completely relate to how people feel about this world. The only times that were a real challenge is when some people would insist that their interpretation was -the- interpretation. There's pretty much no such thing. I think there are interpretations that hold up better under analysis than others, but the truth is, if people believe something and feel it deeply, then it's true for them. And I'd rather the stories were layered enough to do that than not.

Buffyfest: And now we're at the end. This week will see the final IDW Angel comic, the Angel Yearbook. Tell us how that came about and what the goal was for these final stories.

MH: Well, Ryall and I talked about doing something after the last issue of the series that would showcase all the folks that had worked on Angel since the beginning. So we asked everyone what characters they'd most like to tell a story about from any point in the series. It was funny because everyone picked someone different and organically came up with these touching, relevant, sincere stories to end with.

The real goal was making it celebratory of Angel and his family.

Buffyfest: Final round up with the work you did on these stories, tell us: Thing you're most proud of, biggest challenge and, if you were to write a story about Angel 20 years from now, where do you think he'd be?

MH: Well, I'm personally most proud of Illyria: Haunted. That story means a lot to me. But I'm also really proud of working with David, Brian, and Bill. I'm proud of the way we ended things and the character moments along the way.

There were so many people who made Angel great. Working with Brian and Franco on Spike was lovely, I think the world of them both. Elena really breathed life into the final two arcs and her work on Illyria is incredible. Scott Tipton, who did so much with these characters, and proofed nearly every issue of the series which is something I don't think he gets credit for. David Messina, who started on these books and was always a joy to work with. Writers like Peter David & Jeff Mariotte who told some wonderful last tales in the Yearbook. Likewise, Stephen Mooney for his great sense of humor and dynamic art. Willingham, for seeing how complex this world could be and being unafraid to take story risks. Jenny Frison, for giving us the most wonderfully gorgeous covers. And last, David Tischman, who really understood the mix of humor, melancholy, and epic heroism of Angel and took the story where it needed to, to go out on a high note.

Biggest challenge: Letting go, I guess. It's extremely sad to see this end for us.

As for Angel in 20 years: Still fighting. I always see him in the alley, sword in hand, ready to face whatever comes next. I can't see him doing anything else.

Buffyfest: What's next for you?

MH: Well, I'm working on an adaption of Servant of the Bones by Anne Rice and David and I are doing the next True Blood story, True Blood: The French Quarter. Servant is this wonderfully rich tale that Anne wrote about a young Babylonian who becomes a kind of demon/ghost. It's really challenging but wonderful to work on. And David and I are having huge amounts of fun with this new True Blood series. We get to take Sookie, Bill, and Eric to New Orleans and they get into all kinds of trouble. So basically, I'm really busy. :}

IDW WEEK: Interview with Writer Scott Tipton

One of the most exciting parts of IDW Week has been finally getting to do a review with long time Angel writer, Scott Tipton. I guarantee that when you read his story for the Angel Yearbook, you'll find yourself wanting to reread (or read for the first time, shame on you) all the other great work he's done.

He also posted a fantastic rundown of every project he worked on, along with the pitches he wrote.  It's absolutely fascinating stuff which you can check out here. But first is the time for interviews, so away we go!

Buffyfest: What is your favorite behind the scene memory since you've been writing for the Whedonverse?

Scott Tipton: Man, there are so many, it’s hard to even narrow it down, Though writing for ANGEL wasn’t the first comics work I ever had published, it was certainly the work that got me noticed, and in a lot of ways I owe my whole career to the square-jawed galoot. I vividly remember being halfway through the script of my first ANGEL project, the SPIKE graphic novel OLD WOUNDS, which was a big 48-page one-shot, and thinking to myself, “Wow. I think I could do this for a living.”

Hearing later through the grapevine that James Marsters liked the book wasn’t too bad either.

The best thing about my ANGEL experience was the people I got to work with, no question, whether it was developing story ideas with Chris Ryall, trading scripts with Brian Lynch, or just hanging out together at Comic-Con meeting the readers. And I couldn’t have asked for better collaborators in artists David Messina, Stephen Mooney and Elena Casagrande. People often ask me what my favorite thing is about writing comics, and the answer is easy: it’s getting those pages back from the artist. Seeing them take your words on the page and bring to life exactly what you envisioned (and often improving it) is insanely rewarding.

When I was first assigned the AULD LANG SYNE miniseries with David, we got to do a bit of a “warmup” with an ILLYRIA short story in the Halloween anthology MASKS, and I was immediately struck by what a pleasure David was to work with. And then when I got the pages back – wow! I knew we were on to something! Little did I know David and I would go on to create over 600 pages together over the course of the next 5 years and six miniseries.

I remember when I was working on my ANGEL miniseries AULD LANG SYNE with David, driving all over Los Angeles, down to Santa Monica and up mid-Wilshire to the LA County Museum of Art, taking dozens of photos of the scenery to send to him so the book could really have that L.A. feel. Getting to write that snarky back-and-forth repartee between Angel and Spike was a real joy; I never got to do enough of it – so when I got to add a few new scenes to SMILE TIME a couple years later, that was a real treat.

But I think the most rewarding experience of the whole run was developing the adaptation of A HOLE IN THE WORLD with Elena. You’d think with an adaptation, you’d find it creatively limiting, but instead, taking those two episodes we loved so much, stripping them down, and finding the best way to make them work in comics was so much fun, and maybe the best actual collaboration I’ve ever had with an artist, in terms of figuring out the pacing, trading cover sketches back and forth (mine much, much, oh-god-so-much worse than hers), agonizing and arguing over what to cut – for ANGEL fans like us, it was a dream job, and we enjoyed every minute of it.



Buffyfest: Which character are you going to miss the most and why?

ST: I get asked this a lot, and my usual answer tends to be Spike, just because he is such a joy to write, and his dialogue and reactions spring so naturally to mind. Sometimes it’s hard to get the voice for Angel right or figure out exactly what Gunn would do, but Spike has always written himself. I just put him in a situation and turn him loose.

But as I’ve thought about it more in the last few weeks as things have been winding down, I realized the first character I ever wrote for in the Angelverse was Fred, in the opening scene of SPIKE: OLD WOUNDS, and she’s also the last, in the final panel of my YEARBOOK story “All the Time in the World.” This feels kind of appropriate, especially as I’ve spent the last three years writing for Fred/Illyria in one form or another. There’s been a steady flow of amazing drawings of Fred and Illyria arriving in my e-mail box regularly since 2008, and It feels very strange not to be receiving them any more. I may have to bribe Elena to draw me the occasional sketch of Illyria going to the market, or picking up the mail, just to quell the cravings.


Buffyfest: Where do you see Angel in 20 years?

ST: Who can say? I’d like to think it will have stepped out of the BUFFY shadow even more, and gotten the acclaim it always deserved as a more serious and thought-provoking show. And if I’m lucky, maybe I’ll be writing it again…

IDW WEEK: Interview with Writer Brian Lynch

We continue IDW week with a writer who's near and dear to all of our hearts. Brian Lynch told us what happened to Angel after his famous last line, "Let's go to work." He brought Spike to new and exciting places and he introduced us to instantly beloved characters like Betta George and Beck. So, without further ado, here's the man himself, looking back at his times at IDW.

Buffyfest: What is your favorite behind the scene memory since you've been writing for the Whedonverse?

Spike: Asylum #1

Brian Lynch: I have a lot of favorite memories working on this book. From getting the job in the first place, THAT was surprising and exciting. It was followed by the pure joy of writing the first issue of SPIKE:ASYLUM, and realizing how much fun I could have with Spike. Seeing Franco Urru's first pictures of Spike, and his first pages of ASYLUM, I remember where I was, what I was doing, what time of day. The man is the best thing that ever happened to me as a Whedonverse writer. He's taken some stuff that was iffy in script form and made it epic, heartbreaking, funnier than I thought possible...he's amazing.

Joss Whedon's email saying he liked ASYLUM and wanted me to do AFTER THE FALL was a stunning moment. Everything kind of changed at that point. It all became...bigger. And it meant I got to work with my hero. That doesn't happen often. Or, really, ever.

Seeing AINT IT COOL put up pages of AFTER THE FALL and reading reader's reactions...good and bad, it was thrilling. The signing we had the day ATF # 1 came out, I was literally going from the signing to the tasting for my wedding, and then boarding a plane to see my Dad who was sick in the hospital, so that day stands out. It was also the day Chris Ryall gave me my wedding present: that stunning "Wedding Edition" ATF # 1 with new artwork by Franco and EVERYBODY'S DEAD artist Dave Crosland.

Ryall, Tipton and Brian Lynch - 2007

Emailing and hanging out with Chris and Scott Tipton. We were always friends but this experience brought us all closer. We were kinda brothers in arms for years. Doing signings with them, hanging out at San Diego Comic Con. Meeting and hearing from all the people that were excited about the series. Definite highpoints.

The perfect storm of awesomeness was going to the New York Comic Con, where we announced the SPIKE series. I not only got to hang out with Scott and Chris, but I finally met Franco in person. Dave Messina, Stephen Mooney and his lovely wife Jacintha. Stephen is another co-creator that elevates any work he touches: he gets the emotion, the impact certain moments are supposed to have...I'm just lucky to know him as a artist and a friend.

Speaking of Mooney, we did the LAST ANGEL IN HELL special together, and seriously, what other comic company would say "you want to do a movie adaptation of a movie that doesn't exist? Okay, go for it!" I'm a lucky man.

Buffyfest with the man himself - 2009

Back to New York Con...I also finally met Pat Shand (another great human being and a talented writer in his own right) and got to thank him for the endless reviews/online conversations about my comics. I also met and was interviewed by you guys at Buffyfest, so there's another friendship that was forged because of this comic. So as you can see, it changed my life in a lot of ways.

I could go on and on. Juliet Landau was great to work with (writing a character with the person who PLAYED the character, wow). Writing issues of a comic book on a movie set made up to look like an Easter Factory (never got that SPIKE/HOP crossover). Getting to know Mariah as an editor and then being amazed at her writing. Working with Scott Allie so we could ease Spike into Buffy's world. Reading reviews of my book every time it came and realizing that people really CARED about these characters like they care about family members.

So, yes, many many good memories. A few bad ones, but WOW, who knew talking to my friend Chris Ryall about doing a five issue limited series about a monster asylum would change my life like it did? I'm really grateful for the experience.

Buffyfest: Which character are you going to miss the most and why?

BL: This is a tough one. Obviously I'm going to miss writing for Angel, and Spike. I've bonded with these characters. But at the same time, the world is a weird place and who knows what will happen in the future. I'm glad for the break now, as I want to play around in other worlds, but I haven't closed the door with these guys. When I was watching ANGEL years ago, I never in a million years thought I'd be asked to continue the series, anything's possible.

Lynch's original characters, Beck & Tok

The original characters are kind of frustrating, because I had really fun next chapters for Beck, Betta George, Jeremy, Non and Tok. I had a lot to say. Doubt I'll get the chance, which is sad. Even if I ever write for Angel and Spike again, I doubt they'll be in a place where it will easy to reunite with my guys. But, who knows.

Buffyfest: Where do you see Angel in 20 years?

BL: Kansas. I'm not sure why. Kidding, I hope there are still new Angel stories being made, that's he on our side, and he's that right mixture of tortured and happy.

Thank you Brian Lynch for talking to us once again and for all you've given to the 'verse. Have a feeling we'll be seeing you around these parts again real soon.

Coming Up on IDW Week...

In case you're wondering who those mysterious names are in the writing credits of that Angel Yearbook you pick up tomorrow at your local comic shoppe, that would be our very own Bitsy a.k.a Dan Roth and super-fan Pat Shand who both had the ultimate honor of writing for the Whedonverse. A big fat congrats to them. We'll be talking to those guys later in the week along with Writer/Editor Extraordinaire Mariah Huehner, Scott Tipton, Brian Lynch, David Tischman and some other special guests. Stay tuned!

The Angel Yearbook - Exclusive Preview

Rather than the usual rundown before we share the images, let's talk about why this preview is different from what we usually do. For one, obviously, it's the last time for IDW but, more importantly, it involves a lot of different stories. We're going to show you a glimpse at three of them. We think one of them, a two-pager by Brian Lynch's, will get you very, very excited.

We're leaving some stories out of the preview, too. In particular, Scott Tipton asked us specifically to not spoil the surprise. After we had the chance to read it, it's not hard to understand why.

Chris Ryall's, Pat and Bitsy's stories all consist of two pages apiece so previewing them seems... wrong, somehow. But there will be plenty of time to talk about those later. For now, please enjoy a sneak peek at what we think is some of the best stuff IDW has ever put out. Enjoy!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer “Tooncast” Contest

Make a fun Buffy animation and win a S.8 Blu-Ray/DVD or even an iPad!

Here's the skinny: NetToons created the motion comics app that is featured on the Buffy Season 8 DVD called Tooncast Studio. It lets Buffy fans make and share motion comics. A free version of Tooncast Studio is available here - It’s a slimmed down version of that S.8 DVD app.

To enter, fans create and enter animations use either the DVD app or the free version. You have three ways to win each week:

· Get Popular - the two Tooncasts viewed by the most people during the week
· Get Recognized - two Tooncasts selected from those the NetToons team considers “favorites”
· Get Lucky - two Tooncasts randomly selected from all entries shared with friends

Now I was a little afraid of messing with a fandom attached Adobe Air product. As it is, I still have Eliza Dushku slithering all over my screen in a gown or blowing it up in a leather coat every single damn morning because I don't have the heart to delete the "Virtual Echo Dollhouse App". But this was actually pretty fun! Check out my quick and clunky attempt at explaining Buffy's Eight Season using the Tooncast Studio app below:

The Grand Prize winner will be selected at random from all entries received. This contest is ending in two weeks on April 24th, so better get cracking on those Season 8 shorts!

Visit Tooncasts.com for the full deets or NetToons Facebook page for additional info.

Angel and Faith #2 Cover Art

You want some Rebekah Isaacs artwork?  You got it.  Speculation, ahoy!

Separated at Birth: Dark Horse Edition

Left: Newly announced Angel artist Rebekah Issacs   Right: Dark Horse Editor Sierra Hahn

Coincidence? Well, since we've met Sierra Hahn in person and have interviewed her in the past, we know that she is definitely real...but perhaps some sort of evil mastermind? Although, they did both sit on a panel at WonderCon together so no shenanigans there. Well, there may just be a Parent Trap type situation going on here. Now that they've met at Summer Camp, will they reunite their parents? Not sure yet, verdict still out.

(Spoilers) Exclusive Interview with Buffy S.9 Writer Andrew Chambliss

Cover by Jo Chen
Click to Enlarge

If you've been chomping at the bit for some more Buffy comic news, today's been a good day. Wonder Con's Dark Horse Panel just introduced Andrew Chambliss as writer for Buffy Season 9. We've got a great interview below, where the man himself spills the beans on the direction of Season 9, and more. Check out how his "Geek Street Cred" really shines through this interview!

Buffyfest: Although you've been part of the Whedonverse since Dollhouse was on the air, we want to welcome you to the Buffyverse, Mr. Chambliss! Thanks so much for talking with us. Set the stage for us: How were you approached about writing Buffy Season 9?

Andrew Chambliss: I'd been working with Jed and Mo on the Dollhouse miniseries when I got an e-mail from Joss saying he'd heard good things from them about my “Dollhousery”. He then asked if I'd be at all interested in working on Buffy Season 9 with him. It didn't seem like much of a question to me. The chance to work with Joss? In comics? About Buffy? Umm, yes please. And here I am. Okay, there might have been a few intermediate steps, but that's how it all started.

Buffyfest: Great story! In terms of your intro in the Buffyverse, how did you prepare for Season 9 once you got the news you were writing it?

AC: I'd already read the first three or four trade paperbacks of Season 8 over the past year or so, but I'd fallen behind as my life started to get busier and busier. After Joss emailed me about working with him, I quickly ran out and bought the rest. I read the entire season cover to cover two or three times. I also pulled my Buffy DVD set off the shelf and started watching my favorite episodes -- both to remind myself of the world and to start planting the characters' voices in my heads. Joss also held a Buffy summit at his house with Season 8 writers to brainstorm ideas for Season 9 and the Angel and Faith series. Getting to spend an afternoon with people like Joss, Jane Espenson and Drew Greenberg. Geek heaven.

Buffyfest: Oh, to be a fly on that wall! Now that you're at the helm, which character are you most excited to write and why?

AC: It may seem the obvious choice, but I'm going to have to say Buffy. Going into season 9, she's in a really interesting place – she always thought she was going to die saving the world, but now that she actually survived, she has to face her real life (don't worry, they'll still be lots of slaying). And at the same time, she's watching her friends move on with their lives, and has to deal with the fact that the Scooby Gang might not be there to help her like they used to be.

I'm also excited to write Andrew because I can unabashedly let my inner geek shine through him. And I think this is the first time I will have written a character that shares my name.

Buffyfest: What about a character that you're disappointed you won't get to write with Giles dead, Spike off in his Bug ship and Angel and Faith moving over to the Angel title?

AC: Of course, I'm disappointed that I won't get to write Giles. If I learned anything from writing Adelle on Dollhouse, it's that British characters are fun to write. Maybe it's because you can add completely unnecessary letters to their dialogue, in words like “colour” or “aluminium”. Speaking of British accents, I can safely say that Spike won't be on his bug ship for very long. He'll definitely be a part of Buffy's Season 9 life.

Buffyfest: Let’s go back to Season 8 for a minute. Fans have had a lot to say about Buffy's move to comics. How about you? How did you feel about Buffy Season 8?

AC: I'm a big fan of Season 8. I think comics was the perfect medium to tell a story with the scope that Season 8 needed -- how else would you tell the story of Buffy struggling to lead an army of hundreds of slayers, except in comics? Even though the scope was often bigger than anything that could ever be produced on television, Season 8 still felt like it was the show – the voices were spot on, the writing was clever, and at the end of the day, it always came down to character.

Buffyfest: Okay, let’s talk art. Who’s the Season 9 artist and how has working with him/her been?

AC: Georges is returning for season 9, which makes me all kinds of happy. I loved his work on season 8, and have been impressed with what I've seen for Season 9 so far. The thing that constantly blows me away is how much thought he puts into everything he does. Recently, he sent us rough concept art for one of the covers – not only did he have 8 really cool cover ideas for a single issue, but he also had detailed explanations for each one. Right now, we're just getting started working together, but I know I'm going to love the experience.

Buffyfest: You've written comics for Heroes in the past, talk a little bit about your writing process for comics and the difference between comic writing and television writing.

AC: For me, television writing generally starts with the dialogue and builds from there. It's often an auditory medium before it's a visual medium. How many times do people listen to the TV while doing something else in another room? Comics are always a visual medium first, so I often have to remind myself to think visually just as much as I think about the dialogue. There's as much – if not more – that you can tell the reader through the art than captions or dialogue. Which reminds me of the best part about comic book writing – I never have to worry if anything I write is too expensive to draw. In television, you always end up having to scale back to meet the budget of the episode. But in comics, if you can write it, the artist can draw it. It's really freeing, especially when you're writing about things like demon armies or the post-apocalyptic Los Angeles cityscape.

I'm still fairly new to writing comics, so there's a lot I'm learning along the way. But, luckily, I'm writing under the watchful eye of Scott and Sierra who have been great in helping me figure out what works in comics and what doesn't.

Buffyfest: What about the big man himself? How will the co-writing work with Joss? Will you write all the issues or split the work load with him?

AC: Joss and I have been doing most of the story breaking over e-mail and the phone (I think he's busy with a movie or something). We're splitting the script writing duties at the moment and hope to continue to work that way as we continue to write the season.

Buffyfest: Any spoilers you'd like to share for the Season 9? Please?!

AC: They'll be some new characters introduced early on in the season. I won't give away too much, but one of them includes a hunky demon who served time in a mystical prison.

Buffyfest: That’ll definitely have people talking! With the announcement that there will be two main titles under the banner of Season 9, are you working with the Angel series writer to crossover the two stories?

AC: At the moment, we don't have any large crossovers planned, but we'll most likely send certain characters off to one another between both series.

Buffyfest: Switching to Dollhouse, what's the inside story on how you got the writing job for the show?

AC: I'd met at both Fox and 20th shortly after the WGA strike ended, and the executives there told me that they were sending my material over to Joss to read for Dollhouse. Cue the excitement, nerves, and whatever other neurotic behavior you can imagine. And then nothing. A month later, when I had finally forgotten that Joss might be reading my script, I got a call from my agent telling me that I was meeting with Joss the next afternoon (turns out it took him a while to read my script because he had been busy shooting something called Dr. Horrible). Cue the excitement, nerves all over again. The Dollhouse pilot script was delivered to my house that evening, I read it, and stayed up half the night working on pitches.

I met with Joss, Liz Craft and Sarah Fain the next afternoon. I pitched a bunch of ideas that Joss must have liked (which included Victor/Topher – some thing I was super happy to see land in season two) because I got a phone call from my agent saying they were offering me the job as I was driving home from the Fox lot. Twenty-four hours later, I was working on the show. I can still remember how surreal it felt at the time.

Buffyfest: Wow, that’s an amazing story, but there was obviously not a happy ending. From a writer's perspective, was it frustrating working with the network amidst all the problems at the time?

AC: It's always frustrating to have to change course when you really believe in something. The original Dollhouse pilot (it's on the first season DVD – watch it!) was really cool and set the stage for where Joss ended up taking us with “Man on the Street”, but the network was worried that the pilot came at the premise sideways and wanted something that felt a little more stand-alone.

Buffyfest: What are you most proud of when it comes to your storytelling on Dollhouse?

AC: There are things that I love about every episode of Dollhouse I worked on, but overall I think I'm most proud of the first episode I wrote for the show – “A Spy in the House of Love”. It was such a fun ep to write because each act really was its own self-contained story, and I really got to build to some huge character moments for everyone – Paul's realization that Mellie was a sleeper doll, Adelle opening up for the first time to someone who doesn't even exist, and Echo starting to own her burgeoning individuality. I think the fact that “Spy” was also my first episode of produced television adds to my fondness for it.

I'm also really proud of “Epitaph 2”. I was over the moon when Joss asked me to co-write the script with Jed and Mo. First off, because Jed and Mo are awesome to work with. Secondly, because I was going to have the opportunity to say goodbye to all these characters I had grown to love. And finally, it was post-apocalyptic – and who doesn't want to write a post-apocalyptic script? Everybody does. Especially when you throw in a Mad Max-style semi driven by people called “Freakshows”.

Buffyfest: And what story do you wish you could have told before the show ended?

AC: I would have loved to have been able to tell the story of how Topher ended up working at the Dollhouse. His arc from amoral, arrogant scientist to someone who was willing to give up his life to undue the damage his creations had caused was really interesting to me. I would have loved to have shown where Topher began that journey. I had outlined an episode where Topher had to "brain-nap" his former college mentor, and though we scrapped the episode for some very good reasons, I would have loved to have been able to tell that story in a later season.

Also, a post-robocall season 3 would have been a blast to write for TV. But that's why we have comics!

Buffyfest: You've moved from Dollhouse to the very popular Vampire Diaries. It's no secret that vampires are popular right now, so how do you approach the idea of a "good" vampire?

AC: For me, writing "good" vampires is actually a lot more interesting than writing bad vampires. They're in constant conflict between who they are – someone who wants to be good – and what they are – creatures whose instincts are too kill.

Buffyfest: A lot of people have compared Damon and Stefan to Spike and Angel. Do you see the comparison?

AC: I can see why people make the comparison. Stefan and Angel are both characters who strive to be good despite their dark pasts, and Spike and Damon often want to be bad in spite of the good that can't help but come to the surface.

Buffyfest: Any spoilers or scoops you can give to our Vampire Diaries fans out there?

AC: I'm going to stay tight-lipped, but the end of the season will be epic.

Buffyfest: Okay, we’ll just have to wait and see! So, let's finish with some fun fan questions. How did you get into Buffy?

AC: I remember watching the early seasons of Buffy when I was in high school, and never did the thought cross my mind that I might be writing in that universe at some point in my future. When I started to get interested in television writing a few years later, I began to watch the show much more carefully, and that's when I realized just how incredible it was. At that point, I was hooked.

Buffyfest: Was there a particular moment that made you think, "This is more than just an ordinary TV show”?

AC: There are so many moments, but if I have to pinpoint one, I think I'd say Angel losing his soul in season two.

Buffyfest: What about favorite season of the show?

AC: This is tough, but I think I'm going to say season 6. Spike and Buffy. The Trio. Dark Willow. In fact, I think I'm going to go watch some Season 6 right now.

Buffyfest: Us too! Before you go, though, anything you'd like to say to Buffy fans before Season 9 starts?

AC: Just thank you for welcoming me to all things Buffy!

Buffyfest: Thanks again for taking the time to speak with us. We're looking forward to the story you're going to tell in Season 9!

(Spoilers) Buffy Season 9 Interview News

We just finished up an interview with the new writer for Season 9! We'll be posting it at 4 pm (PST) on Friday, directly after Wondercon's Dark Horse Panel. Stay tuned!

Also, check out this awesome sneak peak Spike art for Season 9. It's getting exciting around here!

Who is Writing and Drawing Buffy Season 9?

We don't know that just yet, but Super Scott Allie did give us a little tease:

"I can tell you this. The scripts for the first issues of our main series are in the hands of the artists. Who wrote them and who's drawing them will be announced at WonderCon."

And there you have it! Just a couple of weeks before we know for sure.

Buffy Season 9 News from ECCC

Some exciting Dark Horse news came out of Emerald City this year including confirmation of a Buffy: Season 10. Also, we don't have to wait too long for more stories as Season 9: Buffy #1 is scheduled to be released at the beginning of September and Angel #1 at the end of August. Structure-wise, Season 9 will be much shorter, lasting 2 years with 25 issues coming out of both the Buffy and Angel titles. Check out the panel for full details:

Illyria #4 Preview Pages

By: Scott Tipton, Marish Huehner, Elena Casagrande, Jenny Frison

Reclaiming some of what she had lost, Illyria must choose between what she was and who she could become. Her choice comes at a price ... as well as a final farewell she never thought she'd make.

Release Date: 2 March 2011
Format: 32pg., LIMITED SERIES
Price: $3.99

*Please note, previews are not final. Any errors will be corrected for the physical release.

Win a Fillion Signed 'Serenity' Comic!

Fanboy Comics has a sweet giveaway for fans of Fillion! The FBC Staff recently attended Kevin Pollak's Chat Show featuring Captain Tightpants himself! Staffers had the chance to meet Nathan Fillion and had him sign a few Serenity comics.

All you have to do is subscribe to their newsletter. Send an email to subscribe@fanboycomics.net using the subject line "Fillion Giveaway." Current subscribers of "The Fanboy Scoop" are also encouraged to enter the contest by emailing subscribe@fanboycomics.net. The last day to enter will be Friday, March 4th.

The names of the winners will be posted on their website on Monday, March 7th. Good luck!

Angel is a Cheese Doodle

Before you go scratching your heads, please let me explain. You see, I was having a conversation with my fellow bloggers about the direction Angel's character has taken in Season 8 and the discussion ended with this quote by me: "Angel has become the cheese doodle that fell into the couch cushion, could have been enjoyed, but destroyed by the asses that now sit upon him."

It's a simple analogy really and comes with a kind of light heartedness that can only derive from (hyperbolic) loss and pain. I was a huge Angel fan. I loved everything about this character - story, conflicts, hotness. Even when Angel was at his worst, he was at his best to me. It was the hope that kept me hanging on. I liked that no matter what line was crossed, Angel the Vampire was ready to dust off his duster and try again. It was life in a nutshell to me - the idea that we all have a chance to do better the next time. Angel made a lot of mistakes, sometimes for the greater good and sometimes for his own selfish reasons, just like we do. Yet, he strived to be a better man from the moment he first met Buffy in an alleyway to the moment he faced off with hoards of demons in yet another alleyway.

Please take notice of the past tense here. That's because I'm not sure how to feel about Angel right now. Trust me, it feels like horrible betrayal as I write this. I'm an Angel fan - I'm supposed to stick by his side, right? Well, for some reason, I can't quite stay on board with the character this time. Do I feel sympathy for him? Sure. Do I think he got himself wrapped up in yet another fate vs. free will mess? You betcha. But, there's a difference here...I'm not sure I care anymore. Maybe it has to do with Giles' death or maybe it's something else that will come to me later, but all I know is I've just become apathetic and this my friends is worse than hatred.

Now, I could easily blame Mr. Whedon for this debacle and claim that "My Angel" would never do that, but that's not how I view fiction. To me, Angel is Joss and therefore, he would do that and anything else his creator inks on the page. I'm just holding on to the hope that Angel's new book can change my mind. I'm hoping I can love Mr. Tall, Dark and Broody again. If not, I'll just resign myself to remembering when....

So, here I am. Instead of eating a delicious, bright orange, finger-staining cheese doodle, I'm stuck looking for itty-bitty crumbs hidden under the sofa cushion. Sigh.

Exclusive Interview: Scott Allie on the Road Behind and Ahead for Buffy

Wow, it's been a long, strange trip. There's been ups, downs and outright wars - so basically, it was like any other season of Buffy. And just like other seasons, there's something bitter-sweet about saying goodbye to the gang for awhile. Luckily, we spoke with Scott Allie, editor and writer of the season, to keep the fire from going out for just a little longer.

Buffyfest: So, we’ve come to the end of Season 8. It’s been a long haul with many ups and downs. What is your most memorable moment from the past 4 or so years?

Scott Allie: When Joss emailed to tell me, "You're officially cowriting the finale with me." Or the moment that I realized, in a meeting with Marketing, that we hadn't shown issue #12 to Fox. 

Buffyfest: Those sound memorable! Now, in this final issue, we find Buffy living in San Francisco. Who's idea was it to set Buffy up in SF for Season 9?

SA: Pretty sure that was Joss. He had a pretty solid idea of where she'd wind up after this. 

Buffyfest: What about that city made sense in the decision? 

SA: Lotta stuff. It's a good place for a girl in her twenties to restart her life, and that's what she has to do. It's a meaningful place for a young person to head to. Plus she's gonna look really good doing the Batman thing hopping around those particular rooftops. We liked the idea of keeping her in California, but striking out to new ground. And we felt like San Francisco was a city that was up for grabs, in terms of superheroes. Lot of factors.

Buffyfest: Now that we’re at the end of the season, how much time has passed from the beginning of Issue 1 to the end of #40?

SA: I don't know. We haven't spent two minutes talking about that, to be honest. It's not long—it's not four years. Mostly things moved along pretty quick, although they were in Tibet a lot longer than it took to read those issues. But mostly things moved ahead without a lot of time passing. So maybe it's been a year, somewhere around there.

Buffyfest: One of the most asked questions in the forums is “Who's the prince?” Is this something we should have figured out already or is there more to come on this in Season 9?

SA: No comment.

Buffyfest: We'll take that "No comment" as "There are a lot of comments I can't share". Getting into specifics of issue #40, who's the bleeding guy on page 23? If you can't tell us, can we at least get a hint?!

SA: "Bleeding"? Is it his blood, or someone else's? Find out in Season 9.

Buffyfest: Oooh! Ok, moving on to the big break-up of the issue. Does Kennedy know that Willow's a cheating slimeball and, if not, do you think she would feel differently about their break-up if she knew the truth? 

SA: I don't think she knows, but we could alter that depending on how we set things up at the beginning of Season 9. I think more info for Kennedy can only make her feel worse. Willow's not at her best.

Buffyfest: No she is not, but Faith is! She gets Giles’ belongings, but Giles still gives Buffy the title of THE Slayer even in death. Is your interpretation of Giles leaving Buffy the "Vampyre" book the same as Faith's?

SA: My interpretation is different than Faith's. Faith's right, but there's more to it than that. Giles wouldn't give it to Buffy to burn Faith. Giles was a smart guy.

Buffyfest: Even though Faith is helping Angel, she seems reluctant to do so. Has she forgiven Angel or is she just doing it for the good of the group?

SA: Her gratitude for what Angel did for her goes way beyond forgiving him. It's the sort of thing where you never have to say you're sorry. Faith has grown a lot this season, and she's uniquely equipped to deal with Angel now. She's up for this. And her concern is not the group. 

Buffyfest: Who's idea was it for Angel to crash at Giles' apartment in London: Faith or Buffy? 

SA: I'd say Faith.

Buffyfest: Faith has "faith" in Angel. What about you? Is there hope for Angel?

SA: Yes. I think there's always hope for people. But he really has to earn it. He has to grow from this. He has to find a new way to deal with who he is. He really has some bad karma, and I mean that far beyond him having done some bad stuff he has to make up for.

  
Buffyfest: Connected to that, we have Buffy’s last line in the issue being “Let’s Go to Work” which Angel’s iconic last line in “Not Fade Away”. What’s up with that?

SA: It's the mission statement, but it also means something real different from when Angel said it. 

Buffyfest: What story are you looking most forward to telling in regards to Season 9? Why?

SA: Oh, I don't know. There's a lot. I've been really excited about some stuff with Willow for a long time, but as we tie some things together in the early planning, there are things that get more and more interesting. We've got bits for Faith, something for Spike, for Angel, for Buffy that I'm really excited about. Angel's gonna have some of the best bits. But there are lots of things we still have to nail down.

Buffyfest: Continuing with Season 9, what’s a Buffy and Angel world going to look like without magic? Are there any loopholes we need to know about?

SA: There are loopholes. Look at the dialogue between Willow and Aluwyn in one of my issues. Aluwyn spells some things out. But the world is really different. There are both good and bad repercussions to this. 

Buffyfest: In tune with a world without magic, will we see Fray again next Season?

SA: We've talked about it, but only if it makes sense. Only if it pushes the story forward. We definitely want to bring Fray out again, but it might not have a place in Season 9.

Buffyfest: What about the alternate slayer from the issue, “The Chain”? The fairy makes an appearance in this issue, so will we see the slayer again in Season 9 or is her death imminent at the end of the issue?

SA: I've always thought of her as dying there, but it's possible she survived. 

Buffyfest: Are the titles set in stone? Last we heard at Comic Con, there are going to be Spike and Willow books, as well. Is there any more news on that?

SA: We still have some work to do. Neither Spike nor Willow are set in stone—the only things that are rock solid are the two main titles.

Buffyfest: We know that this past weekend, you had a writer's summit in L.A. to map out the story for Season 9. Can you tell us who was there?

SA: Joss, Sierra, me, Zack, Jane Espenson, Drew Greenberg, Danny Kaminsky, and a few other writers ... names we'll share soon. There were some people we were counting on spending the day with who weren't able to make it because of their busy weeks, which was disappointing. 

Buffyfest: How did the process of setting up the story go?

SA: Great. It was fun. It was educational for me, and I've got a lot riding on it. We nailed the themes, the central conflicts. Lots of details to work out, but we found the main plotlines for all the main characters, and we nailed down our starting points. We still need to do outlines, breaking the bits into a real structure. But we spent the day throwing around ideas, seeing which ones still sounded good an hour or two later, and then watching ideas overlap and reconnect. It's gonna be a weird season.

Buffyfest: Can you tell us about any great moments that came out of the meeting? 

SA: Lightsaber fights and karaoke. I didn't even think I knew the Thompson Twins. 

Buffyfest: Ha! To be a fly on that wall. Finally, any other Season 9 news you’d like to share?

SA: Just that Joss is taking a bigger role in it than we initially expected. He'll be more directly involved in the writing than I was expecting, which is a relief. But we've got some other good stuff set up, things I wish we could tell readers, but now is not the time. 

Buffyfest: Don't worry. We'll be waiting patiently. Thanks for being a part of the reason we still get to talk about Buffy. See you next Season!

SA: Thanks, Michelle—thanks for keeping the readers talking.

Buffy #40 Analysis - SPOILERS (but only a little)

♠Disclaimer: This is not a review.  If you're looking for the full on spoiler fest, you ought to poke your peepers elsewhere.  This here is some fine genuine analysis so get the darn comic and, when you're done flipping through it a few times, put on your best smarty pants, and then read this thing.

Hope.

It might just be the theme, not just of season 8, but of Buffy as a series.  Sometimes hope can be the thing that leads us to salvation but, sometimes, it can lead us astray.  Sometimes the road to hell is paved with hope.

I suspect that was Brad Meltzer's intention during the "Twilight" arc as he cobbled out this idea that one girl vs. innumerable vampires, demons, ad infinitum works but an army of slayers makes for a topsy turvy world gone wrong.  We all know that Buffy's decision in Chosen was going to have consequences, that her decision to call all the potentials at once meant taking the choice away from countless other women but, at the same time, I don't think it's enough to say "Buffy was wrong".  I don't think a writer can ever say, simply, "that was bad, no cookie for you" nor can we, as viewers or readers ever say, conclusively, what the truth of things is.

All that being said, Buffy was wrong.  She betrayed herself, she betrayed her girls, her family, her friends, and the world.  That's the theme after all.  Betrayal.  And hope, but we're not there just yet.  Keep that one in your back pocket for now.

Buffy #40 is the end of the great experiment that was Season 8.  Can you take a show that aired for seven seasons and turn it into a successful comic book?  Can an army of slayers unite to fight the forces of darkness?  Can fandom not bicker and , in general, behave like a bunch of collective dillweeds for five seconds?  One of the best (and worst) things about Season 8 is how all of these things have become so interconnected.  Buffy, Joss, you and I… we're asking the same questions, fighting the same struggles; we're just doing it on different playing fields in different ways.  But this is Joss's baby and, before everyone else has their final word, el jefe gets to say his piece.

What's he saying?  Well, I think he's saying that there is no one single ideal that can keep hundreds of unique voices in synch forever.  I think he's saying that Buffy is a charismatic leader but, then again, so was Hitler.  I think he's acknowledging some of the flaws that have been repeatedly pointed out, most especially that sex in space is kind of silly.

Buffy #40 is an entire issue that simultaneously gets back to the old formula while also saying "Don't get too comfy just yet".  It's a pinch of fan service with a few heaping spoonfuls of "I'm still in charge, alright?"  This is the last time we'll probably see all the Scoobies contained within the same pages for a while and we don't even see them all together at once.  This is Buffy's POV, so it all ekes out a little at a time. 

What we do get is gloriously familiar.  Buffy with Xander and Dawn is the humor and intimacy of family.  Buffy with Willow is the shared pain of regret, the labored love and resentment that two best friends can only share when they've given and taken away everything from each other.  Buffy and Faith are the separated sisters still in constant competition despite themselves, both still vying for the love of a father that can't hear them anymore.  Buffy and Spike are the old lovers, uneasy in their own skin whenever they're close but still trying to look beyond the scars they've given each other and still reach out for…

Hope.  Because changing the world aint all it's cracked up to be.  Sometimes when you try to build a better world you sort of kind of accidentally almost destroy the entire universe in the process.  Sometimes you don't change anything at all and, even when you do, it's never in the way you intended it.

But, if you're Buffy, there's always hope.  It's the thing that separates her from Angel, and the reason I think Joss chose to mirror the end of "Not Fade Away".  Funny thing about a mirror, what you see in the reflection is the same but opposite.

Hope is the one thing we all struggle to keep.  We're all hoping that out lives will have meaning, that we can make a difference.  Whether your demons are literal or metaphorical, whether you're the one who created it all or are part of the community that binds it together, we all hope for more, for better, from each other, from ourselves, from the world.

I just hope we don't all accidentally have a fan orgy in the vacuum of space and destroy the universe in the process.  All I'm sayin'!